Monsters on Netflix: We’ve seen the first two episodes of the Lyle and Eric Menendez case, and we’re blown away

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Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Eric Menendez tells the true story of two brothers who were convicted in 1996 of murdering their parents, Jose and Mary Luis “Kitty” Menendez.

For the prosecution, two criminals were trying to inherit the family property. For the brothers, the act was the culmination of physical, emotional and sexual abuse by their parents. A motive they continue today while serving life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The series revisits the case that shook the world and paved the way for the modern phenomenon of true crime fascination, and asks the crucial question: Who are the real monsters?

Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Eric Menendez, a season created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan with Javier Bardem, Chloë Sevigny, Cooper Koch and Nicolas Alexander Chavez

who is he with

After the huge success of Dahmer, played by the incredible Evan Peters, Ryan Murphy and his team once again took care of their casting. Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Eric Menendezor Season 2 of the anthology series.

Played by Jose and Kitty Menendez, the murdered parents of their two sons, Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny, make up all their insecurities and even monsters by making up a couple that is perfect on the surface, but completely unhealthy and dysfunctional in the family home.

This is the first time on American television for the Spanish actor, who has distinguished himself in both blockbusters (Dune, Skyfall) and art house films (No Country for Old Men, Vicky Cristina Barcelona). As for Chloe Sevigny, she is no stranger to Ryan Murphy’s “Army”. The one who hypnotized our retinas in Kids, Boys Don’t Cry or Dogville has already appeared in two seasons of American Horror Story.

And we’re betting it’ll be the hour of glory for Nicolas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch, who play Lyle and Eric Menendez, respectively. Two brothers from a rich and influential family were treated badly by their parents. So much so that they decided to kill him. They create a disturbing portrait of young men who are both unsympathetic and lost.

is it worth watching

Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Eric Menendez marks a significant shift in tone from the first season of Ryan Murphy’s crime anthology starring Dahmer. While Dahmer has dabbled in psychological horror and visceral gore, this new season focuses more on the psychology of the Menendez brothers, taking a more narrative and less depressing approach.

This change of register works well because it allows us to delve deeper into the complicated (and very well-known in the United States) story of these two young men convicted of murdering their parents.

The first two episodes focus entirely on Lyle and Eric Menendez, brilliantly played by two actors who instantly capture their duality and their ambiguous relationship. In many ways, their performance is reminiscent of the characters from the world of Brett Easton Ellis, namely Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, of whom they may be distant cousins. They share the same cult of the body, superficiality and something twisted that snaps out at the slightest pressure.

These young people, at first glance, appear to be educated, from high society, but the series is very quick to reveal their deep flaws. Their moral ambiguity is one of the strengths of these episodes, as well as their relationship, and viewers are left with the constant question: are they victims or monsters?

One of the bold choices of the series is to put the parents in the background. If Jose Menendez, played by the impressive Javier Bardem, only appears briefly, his few scenes are enough to show the violence and terror he inflicted and inspired on his sons. Bardem plays an authoritarian and terrifying patriarch, a thousand miles away from the more nuanced roles he’s accustomed us to. This oppressive figure, although in the background, weighs heavily on events, giving each relationship between the brothers a sense of gravity and awkwardness.

The first episode wastes no time getting to the scene of the murder of Menendez’s parents. Graphic and violent, this scene marks a turning point in the series. This clearly shows that Ryan Murphy is not going to sugarcoat this tragedy, preferring to confront the public with the brutality of the acts committed. This choice to show the murder at the beginning sets up the dynamic of the series, which then focuses on reconstructing the events that led to this family drama.

Despite this disastrous start, Monsters manages to maintain a delicate balance between suspense and psychological drama. Menendez’s focus on the children, their complex relationship and reaction to their father’s tyranny and their mother’s inertia, gives this story a fascinating depth. The bond between the two brothers is emphasized, suggesting a form of interdependence that establishes the central question of the series: are they victims or ruthless criminals?

Thus, these first two episodes lay the foundation for a thriller that immediately grips us and where the line between guilt and innocence is constantly blurred.